"I wonder who you are?" Kisa asked. "You look like a prince; a prince in a box. Not exactly where I expected to find someone, but I guess you'll be gone by tomorrow, so there's no harm in fantasizing." AU - Please read author's note for details of this story and its conception. T for language.

Many apologies for the late update. Real life sucks, enough said. I have updated this and my other chaptered story as of recent, hopefully I will get into the writing groove again and get the other story completed.

Thanks to any and all who pop in and thanks to Risque Tendencies for correcting any of the mistakes she finds in this story. Cheers!

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Pets Love Unconditionally

There are many times in a person's life when happiness doesn't come close to describing how a person is feeling. Even using the words 'utterly elated' would have been an understatement for how Yukina felt when Kisa-san had said he wasn't going in to work for the overtime because he needed to stay and make sure Kiiro-chan was okay. So the editor had been waiting on him hand and foot all morning.

"Kiiro-chan, do you want some water?" Kisa asked after he'd checked the boy's hand to make sure it hadn't turned purple again for the twelfth time in an hour.

"No, Kisa-san, I am fine," Yukina chirped with a smile adorning his face.

"We can go for a walk today, if you want. I've never taken you on a walk, so it's probably time I did," Kisa stated as he looked outside at the brilliant blue sky.

The first thought to pop into the art student's head was of him walking next to Kisa-san with a collar and a leash attached to his neck. This made him chuckle because the man would never put him in such a contraption, but it was amusing nonetheless.

Kisa was a little mystified at the sudden chuckle until he realized his wording might have sounded a little off. He'd had a similar vision, only with Kiiro-chan on all fours, pulling him like a dog pulls his master. The idea utterly humiliated him and he immediately started stammering.

"I don't mean like a dog, I just thought we could go for a walk. Forget I said anything!" he shouted as he jumped off the sofa.

He didn't make it far before Kiiro-chan had pulled on his arm. The next thing Kisa knew he was face to chest with the taller man. Underneath his pet's shirt he could make out his heartbeat; strong and steady. His own heart was beating rather quickly by that point and he started to feel something he shouldn't be feeling for Kiiro-chan.

"Kisa-san, I would love you to take me on a walk," Yukina crooned into the older man's ear. He could feel Kisa-san start to shiver involuntarily and it caused him to shiver as well. For a moment the only thing he wanted to do was lean down and kiss his master's lips and taste of the forbidden fruit.

"O-okay," Kisa stammered shyly as he pushed himself away and headed toward the door. "Let's go while we know the sun is still shining."

Yukina could have giggled if he wasn't trying to keep a certain organ on his body from engorging itself at the thought of making love with the man who had captured his heart after just a few days. Instead he merely nodded and walked toward the door, where Kisa-san insisted on putting his shoes on for him because of his wrist. Then the older man donned his own and they stepped outside.

/GG/

The sun was hot, but the breeze made it warm rather than unbearable. Kisa walked next to Kiiro-chan, who was eating an ice cream cone, and let his mind wander. He thought back to his night of almost frenzied passion with his senpai and it made his stomach twist into nervous knots. How would Murakami-senpai act the next day when he saw him?

Then he looked at Kiiro-chan and a soft smile spread across his face. The man, for he didn't really look like a pet in that light, stood quite a bit taller than he and looked like a runway model. With the sun behind his head it made him look just like a prince; his thoughts when he'd first laid eyes on the guy after cleaning him off.

Yukina smiled down on Kisa which caused the latter to turn his head in embarrassment and blush. How cute the editor was. Yukina was one very lucky pet indeed.

"Kisa-san, let's ride the Ferris Wheel!" Yukina shouted as he pulled his companion to the line. This act caused an even deeper blush to make itself present, and the man giggled slightly as he took another bite of ice cream.

"Kiiro-chan, don't pull me like that," Kisa admonished slightly as he shook himself off and straightened up.

"I'm sorry, Kisa-san," Yukina said jovially. "But I've always wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel with someone I cared for, so this is as good a time as any!"

There was no denying the man, who shone like the light of a few dozen suns. Kisa couldn't say no to the boy and deep down he didn't want to.

"Okay, but only once," he said as he paid the man to let them on the next available car.

Within a few minutes, they were at the top of the wheel, looking out at the landscape of concrete towers and asphalt roadways. Kisa himself had never been in the Ferris Wheel, so this was a new experience for him as well. He wasn't even aware of when it happened, but soon both his and Kiiro-chan's fingers entwined as they looked out over the horizon.

Neither parted when they exited the car and continued walking down the street. Kisa was off in his own little world until he saw something that made his heart drop. Within seconds of seeing the man, his legs froze and his face contorted slightly. Yukina looked from Kisa-san to the man and back again.

"Shouta-san, is that you?" the man inquired as he took a step closer.

Yukina would have thought the man was Murakami-senpai if it weren't for the woman pushing a baby-stroller beside the man. This had to be the man who had broken Kisa-san's heart all those months ago. The look on Kisa-san's face made Yukina want to pick him up and carry him off to safety since it looked like the man was about to cry.

"It is you, Shouta-san, how are you?"

Kisa almost vomited in his mouth. Anyone could have seen how uncomfortable he was and just have walked by without saying anything. He couldn't even try to say anything as his eyes found the baby in the stroller; the one that had been created at the same time he himself had been having sex with the father.

"Who is this, Shouta-san, a new boyfriend?"

Yukina'd had enough. Normally he'd have not said anything, especially with a lady present, not to mention a child, but this all too familiar man was causing Kisa-san unwarranted stress. He reached over and grabbed Kisa-san's hand again and brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly on the knuckles before speaking.

"Who I am is none of your concern," he said dangerously. "But anyone with half a brain should be able to pick up on how uncomfortable my Kisa-san is feeling. So I am only going to say this once; stay the fuck away from him."

Kisa stared in shock at Kiiro-chan's display, but couldn't say anything. His head was cheering the man on as he found himself being pulled passed the couple and the baby. He didn't even look back as they continued down the street toward his apartment. After that run-in he wasn't really interested in hanging around and running into anyone else he might know.

As for his thoughts, Yukina couldn't decide whether Kisa-san would be happy at his forward words or angry. He could only think of taking his master back to their home and keeping him safe. Yukina burned with anger at the audacity of Kisa's former lover, parading around with his new spawn and pretending that the past didn't matter. Infidelity was never something he could do to someone he loved. He'd never hurt Kisa-san like that.

The remainder of the walk was short and quiet. The only sound either man made was that of their feet hitting the pavement as they walked. Eventually they did slow down to a much less hurried pace and enjoyed a little more of the outside together. Kisa could feel Kiiro-chan's sweaty hand in his and thought about how well they fit together.

"Are you okay, Kisa-san?" Yukina finally mumbled as they walked into the apartment.

"Yes, do you want some coffee?" Kisa answered, trying to forget the bulk of the walk. It had been so nice before running into that man.

"Please." Yukina knew that Kisa-san would open up once he'd had a chance to process all of his thoughts.

/GG/

A few hours later, after Kisa had left and come back from the store with food, he was willing to open up. He told Yukina all about his feelings when he saw that baby and how he wondered if his ex had cheated because Kisa would never have been able to have a child with him.

"I can't carry a baby inside of me, so he went to find someone who could," he said in a dejected tone. "I should have been born a girl."

Yukina chuckled slightly and rubbed the guy's hair. "I think you are the right gender, Kisa-san. I love you just the way you are."

"Pets love unconditionally. It's humans that need to learn to love like that," Kisa said, not realizing how hurtful the statement actually sounded. "Do you want to take a bath?"

The art student nodded. He knew that by him receiving a bath it would help Kisa-san with his demons. Yukina allowed the editor to drag him to the bathroom and strip him. His master didn't seem to have any inhibitions about seeing a naked, younger body in front of him, so Yukina let the man clean him and bathe him.

After the bath, Kisa led Yukina to the bed and pulled him down next to him. Kou was rather startled until Kisa-san spoke up.

"I used to do this with my dog when I was a kid and I felt sad, you don't mind, do you?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "I don't mind." He felt complete lying there with his master holding him. Yukina could feel his heart beating fast within his chest. If only that feeling could last forever.

/GG/

Morning came quickly and soon both men were on their way to their respective work places. Kou had to take a shift at the bookstore since he'd missed his Saturday schedule. He planned on working till lunch and then heading off to the university to get some of his paintings ready for the art show. He had been counting down the days for months and now that it was finally here he didn't know if he could contain his excitement.

"What in the fuck happened to your hand?" Rio demanded as she ran over to help the man lift a painting and hang it on the wall in the exhibition room.

"I broke it. Hairline fracture."

"And how did that happen? That person you're staying with didn't do this to you, did he?"

Yukina grinned and nodded his head. "It was an accident. In truth, I stood up and slipped. He wasn't really to blame, but I can tell you I lose all thought when I'm around him."

"How are you supposed to paint that last piece before the opening if your hand is busted, you moron?"

It was a logical question and he knew the painting wouldn't look nearly as good as his other, but he planned on finishing it anyway.

"I will just have to work longer on it to make sure it's of the same quality. It's hardly my fault I broke my wrist, Rio," he stated as they affixed another painting to the wall.

"I'd better not catch you being stupid again, Kou. You are walking on thin ice as it is."

Yukina smiled as his friend and nodded. "I am planning on staying another hour before leaving. I promise to get some things done before I head off to my master's place."

Rio visibly blanched. "It's creepy, the way you say that, having a master when you're a human. This isn't some underdeveloped country, you know."

"I don't find it creepy in the least. I adore being with Kisa-san as much as he adores being with me. If all I can do is be his pet, that that's enough for me."

He felt a hand on his shoulder at that comment and looked at his friend. "You are setting your sights too low, Kou, you are much better than a pet. I know that you and I don't work out, but I have a friend who is interested in you. Why not give her a chance since she's bound to treat you with the respect you deserve."

The art student shook his head. "If it's not Kisa-san, then it's no one."

"Then tell me this, Kou," she said seriously. "Have you thought about what's going to happen when he decides to find a girl and get married? What's going to happen to you then?"

"Kisa-san is gay, so I doubt he's going to find a girl and get married," Kou admitted.

"Okay, so he won't find a girl, but what happens when he ends up in a serious relationship with a guy? How are you going to react to that? What's he going to do to you then? He can't very well introduce you to another man as his pet."

Yukina had thought about that on a few occasions. It hadn't even been a week since he'd come to live with Kisa-san and he had been hoping the man would change their arrangement. It hadn't taken long for Kou to realize he was deep in love with the manga editor.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Rio started. "You're hoping he will choose you? How is he going to get his head onto a different train of thought when all he sees when he looks at you is a pet? I'm telling you, Kou, as a friend; get out of this relationship before you get hurt."

"I can handle myself. I am not going to get hurt. Kisa-san may be a little rough around the edges, but I know he will come around eventually."

"For your sake, I hope you're right."

He could tell his friend was worried, but Yukina figured that he'd break down Kisa-san's barriers slowly until the older man was willing to let him in. Until that time, Yukina would remain by his side; a pet.

/GG/

Once he arrived at work he'd half expected to hear from Murakami. When he didn't, Kisa began to wonder if the man was still interested in him. There wasn't much time to dwell on that, though, as once he hit his floor he was whisked away for an emergency. One of his mangaka had been in an accident and couldn't get her pages in on time, so Kisa needed to find someone to help her with the remaining pictures.

This process took most of the day, and by the time he was able to deliver his finished corrections to the Amethyst department it was way past lunchtime. His thoughts to the last encounter with the man came into play and he could feel his stomach start to flutter, and his need to be touched on a certain part of his body. Work was not the place to be thinking about such actions, though, because he didn't want to have any embarrassment on his part.

Still, that didn't stop him from seeing Murakami-senpai, seated at his desk, and immediately feel his nether region begin to stir. He walked toward the other man, arms clutching two copies of corrected material, and tried to think about anything that would keep him from ending up with wood while at work.

"Murakami-san, here are my corrected sheets," he said with a slight bow as he handed off his papers.

Kisa could feel Fukushima glaring daggers at his back for receiving a compliment from their superior.

"I will admit, I had some help. Kiiro-chan is very good at keeping me company and helping me when necessary," Kisa said.

Murakami threw back his head and laughed. "I am sure your dog does an excellent job of keeping you on track. Speaking of Kiiro-chan, how is he?"

This was a conversation he'd hoped he wouldn't have to have. It was one thing when a human neglected themselves with a broken bone, but when the man thought Kiiro-chan was actually a dog, if Kisa admitted there was a fracture it might end up looking bad. He wasn't a coward though, so he decided to come right out and say it.

"He had a hairline fracture in his wrist. The doctor said he'd heal just fine though. We've been keeping ice on it to keep the swelling down and I made him rest it yesterday."

Kisa was surprised when his senpai came over and put an arm around his shoulder. "You're a good master, Kisa. Kiiro-chan is lucky to have you."

"T-thank you, senpai," he said quietly. "I mean, Murakami-san."

"I'm fine with senpai, but you can call me Kenichi; or just Ken if you want."

Shouta blushed more than ever with that little revelation. Obviously almost having sex meant they were on a different level than before.

"I don't think that's appropriate here at work," he stuttered.

Murakami nodded. "You are correct, so how about when we are in private, you can call me Ken, and I will call you by your given name too."

The fact that this conversation was taking place in front of a whole slew of girls, one of who had her eyes set on the man who was speaking, had to be the most embarrassing thing Kisa had ever been part of. He could do nothing but say yes by way of a slight nod. He caught the eye of Fukushima who looked like she was about ready to go ballistic on his ass.

"Speaking of which, I need to speak with you, so come with me for a moment." Murakami kept his hand on Kisa's back and led him away from the wolf pack and out the back door of the department.

Kisa noticed they were walking down the hallway, away from the elevators and toward the stairwell. The next thing he knew, he was led to a part of the building that was under renovation. Being Monday, meant that the workers hadn't come in yet, since their job started in the evening to keep the noise down as much as possible during peak business hours.

"Uh, senpai?" he asked, when they'd stopped in a vacant conference room.

Moments after those words left his lips he was pushed into the corner and Murakami had started to kiss him senseless. The idea of an office fling had always appealed to Kisa, but he had been completely caught off-guard. So, it took him a while to start to respond.

"I'm sorry, Shouta, but I really wanted you the other night, and when I saw you walking toward me, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer," Kenichi breathed into the nape of the smaller man's neck. He proceeded to give the man a love bite.

"But we're at work," Kisa said, eyes wide with both surprise and desire.

"Fuck work, right now I want to make love to you."

The words were enough to give Kisa the hard-on from hell, and even if they didn't do anything, he'd need to go to the bathroom and do something about it himself. He looked into his senpai's eyes and could see fire spreading through the pupil all the way into the man's brain. That was all it took for him to claim the lips of the other again. Who cared if they initiated this office; besides it had been initiated by everyone on his team, as well as the company owner's son and said son's lover.

"Enough talk," he mumbled as he reached for Murakami's zipper. It was time to correct the mistake of leaving both men high and dry on Saturday. After all, Kiiro-chan was fine now.

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